Potraz must guide digital economic transformation

Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) should anticipate new technologies and be proactive in proposing appropriate policies to promote digitisation of the economy in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1), Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere said yesterday.

In his keynote address at the ongoing Potraz Strategic Planning Workshop in Bulawayo, he said NDS1 outlines a number of broad targets for the ICT sector under the Digital Economy National Priority area.

“Potraz plays a critical role in ensuring and facilitating the digitalisation of the economy. As our experts, Potraz must anticipate new technologies and be agile enough to quickly propose appropriate policy frameworks for deployment of those technologies,” said Dr Muswere.

“For instance, while the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe has come up with regulations for operation of drones, Potraz’s role must be clearly defined as well, in order to close any regulatory gaps.”

In order to provide thought leadership in the ICT sector, the minister challenged Potraz to strengthen its research and development. Where Potraz does not have sufficient internal capacity to carry out research and development, he said the Government expects the regulatory authority to enter into partnerships with research institutions that can either avail their facilities or carry out the research on behalf of the regulator.

It is in this context that the Government expects Potraz to take an added responsibility of the Data Protection Authority.

“Now is the time to adequately prepare for this added responsibility. You should not wait for the signing of the bill into law to start working on appropriate statutory instruments and policy framework for Data Protection,” said Dr Muswere.

He acknowledged that a lot of communities in peri-urban and remote parts of the country still do not have access to basic ICT services including broadband services. In this light Potraz was expected through the Universal Service Fund, to scale up deployment of ICT projects in underserved areas around Zimbabwe.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Potraz director general Dr Gift Machengete said the ICT sector was fast paced and as a regulator they needed to change with the changing times and keep ahead of any latest trend or development.

“There is need for constant evaluation and analysis of the effectiveness of our strategies to meet our goal. There is need for constant self-introspection,” he said.

“There need for constant examination of the environment and it is for this purpose that we are all gathered here today – to strategise.”